Nelson, Hornets pace the field at ASU meet

JONESBORO — Mar’Kevius Nelson won the long jump and high jump and the Bryant Hornets finished second in four events as they captured the team title at their first full-team meet of the season at the Arkansas State University High School Indoor Invitational on Friday at the ASU Convocation Center.

In all, 19 schools were represented at the meet but only five were featured in the team competition for the official results, which were based on a modified scoring system in which first place counted 8 points instead of 10. Using the traditional scoring method and scoring all schools Bryant would have scored 93 points, Lake Hamilton 51.5, Pine Bluff 36, Vilonia 33, Heber Springs 27 and Oxford, Miss., 24, to round out the top six teams.

Nelson won the long jump with a leap of 21’7″, which was a new personal record. He took the high jump by clearing 5’8”. Devon Davis was second in the long jump at 19’11.5” and Pierce Finney third at 19’2.5”.

“Mar’Kevius Nelson did a great job of picking up two victories, with his long jump being a big personal record,” stated Hornets coach Steve Oury. “Mark Winn also picked up a nice personal record in the mile run, as did Devon Davis in the long jump. Hopefully we can pick up several more personal records next week in Fayetteville.”

The Hornets compete in the State Indoor championship meet at the University of Arkansas’ Tyson Center on Saturday, Feb. 7.

Winn’s mile time of 4:39.88 was good for a fourth-place finish.

Steven Murdock garnered second-place points in the 400, recording a 51.04 clocking. Drew Carnaham was second in the 55-meter hurdles at 9.44 with Landon Abernathy third (9.47) and Blake Carnahan fifth (9.65).

In addition, Tyler Hecker and Raphael McCuien teamed up with Finney and Murdock on a 3:36.5 in the 4 x 400 relay, which earned second place.

Justin Combs finished third in the pole vault, clearing 14 feet. In the 55-meter dash, Murdock was fourth in 6.83 with Phillip Isom-Green seventh in 7.01 and Nelson eighth at 7.01.

John Carder turned in a 10:53.38 in the two-mile run, finishing sixth. Dany Murillo was seventh in the shot put with a toss of 42’2”.

“This was a nice way to start the season with the full team,” Oury said. “This meet is a good tune-up for the State Indoor Championship next weekend.

“Arkansas State had not hosted a high school indoor meet since the 1990’s, so it was a new experience for us,” he noted. “The track is very different from the Tyson Center in Fayetteville, but I thought we did a good job of adjusting.”